For people who want to grow more food with less work. 🌱 This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribers—here's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."
how to nurse your soil back to health over winter
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I just started my fall cleanup this week: collecting seeds, trimming back perennials, and cutting down the last of my summer crops. We had a hard freeze a couple nights ago, which wiped out the tomatoes and peppers (though the strawberries are looking solid—I even see some new flowers). As I'm rooting around in my raised beds, I can tell the soil is a bit tired. I've got weeds sneaking their way into now-empty spaces, the soil level has gone down a couple inches and I grew 10 big tomato plants this summer, so I'm sure those beds could use a good feeding. I usually let half my garden rest over winter (while the other half is planted with perennials and overwintering crops). I use the time to "nurse" my soil back to health so when spring rolls around, those beds are ready to be planted again. (And I don't have to fuss with the soil during an already busy time in the garden.) P.S. Here are 3 easy ways to nurse your garden soil back to health over winter. P.P.S. Do you know what to do with all your dead plants at the end of the season? Nope, don't pull them out. Don't even dig up the roots. I share exactly what I do in my garden every year—using my signature "lazy gardening" method—in my online course Lazy Gardening Academy. This course is full of smart tips and techniques for getting more out of your garden by doing less work. And the best time to start is actually in fall, when you can start building up your soil before letting nature take over. Check it out here.​ |
Garden Betty
For people who want to grow more food with less work. 🌱 This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribers—here's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."